1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a method thereof, and a program. The presentinvention relates more particularly to an image processing apparatus, a method thereof, and a program that can reduce distortion of an image to be generated by performing interpolation even in motion compensation processing using a motion vector in an image whose brightness significantly changes and in which distortion tends to occur.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, there is processing in which a motion vector is detected by performing a block matching technique and, by performing motion compensation processing using the motion vector, a new interpolation image (an interpolated frame) is generated from images (frames) temporally before and after the interpolation image.
However, in a case in which a scene change occurs, an object moves to an area outside a searched area, or the brightness of an image significantly changes such as during a fade-in/fade-out transition, it is difficult to detect an accurate motion vector, or the reliability of the motion vector becomes low. As a result, when such motion compensation processing is performed, distortion may appear in an image generated by performing interpolation.
Thus, a technology has been proposed which includes a function for detecting a scene change to be included and in which distortion is reduced by executing motion compensation processing according to a scene change detected (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-60192).
Moreover, a technology has been proposed in which distortion is reduced by checking spatial correlation of an interpolation image and executing motion compensation processing (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-260527).